Krill Oil Benefits(Part 2)

It's fascinating to read about studies concerning krill oil benefits, it makes you wonder why they are not advertised more. Part 1 discusses how krill oil differs from fish oil and what are their benefits.

Reduction of fat deposits in heart and liver

A new study conducted by internationally acknowledged research groups in
Italy, under the supervision of Dr Sebastiano Banni and Dr Vincenzo Di
Marzo, investigated the effect of Krill Oil and omega-3 fish oil in
obese rats. The conclusion? "Krill Oil has a significantly better effect
than fish oil" says Banni.

Krill Oil, rich in omega-3 phospholipids, provides substantially
greater reduction of fat in the heart and liver than does omega-3 from
fish oil.

High levels
of fat hinder the heart function, but reducing the fat content brings
the heart back to a normal level. Krill oil reduces the fat content in
the heart by 42%. Fish oil only reduces the fat content by 2%, making
krill oil 22 times more effective!

A corresponding examination of
the fat amount in the liver shows a reduction of 60% after
administration of Antarctic Krill Oil, while fish oil reduces the fat
content in the liver by just 38%, showing krill oil to be 50% more
effective.

A high level of fat in the liver impairs liver function which
reduces insulin sensitivity and contributes to the development of Type
II diabetes.

So krill oil benefits extend to both the heart and the liver. (1)

Reduction of Triglycerides and Glucose

Another study demonstrated krill oil benefits at lower or equal doses compared to fish oil. Krill oil was found to be more effective than fish oil in reducing blood levels of glucose, total
cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides and increasing HDL levels, thus
reversing the trend towards a blood lipids and sugar pattern that
increases the risk of heart disease.

At the level of intake of
1.5g/day, it was found to be superior to fish oil (at 3g/day) for
lowering of LDL cholesterol and blood sugar.

When the krill oil intake
was increased to 3g./day it had the extra effect of lowering the blood
triglycerides, which fish oil did not.(2)

Effect on Menstrual Problems and PMS

Another study investigated the benefits of krill oil on all menstrual
difficulties whether physical or emotional and concluded that krill oil
significantly reduces dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation) and the
emotional symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and is significantly
more effective for complete management of premenstrual symptoms compared
to omega-3 fish oil.(3)

Depression

Many studies on omega-3 fatty acids on depression have given
contradictory results, mainly because they were carried out using fish oil.

But a study carried out on depressive symptoms of
premenstrual syndrome showed krill oil benefits on lifting the mood of the subjects.

The absence of significant
effects of fish oil on mood in many studies suggests that the presence
of the phospholipids and/or higher amounts of EPA may be responsible for
the therapeutic effect of krill oil.(4)

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Researchers from Australia and Italy report that the high fat diet,
rich in omega-6 fatty acid so prevalent today was associated with an
increase in levels of compounds called endocannabinoids -
lipid messengers that reportedly influence appetite, energy balance,
mood, memory, pain perception, and in doing so contribute to the build
up of fat.

Supplementation with the krill oil for eight weeks, however, reduced levels of the endocannabinoids.

“Since
these... mediators are dysregulated in several tissues of obese Zucker
rats, these data might suggest that KO can potentially produce
beneficial metabolic effects against dysmetabolism and inflammation in
obesity,” wrote the researchers.

“Hence krill oil has a high
potential to alleviate metabolic dysfunctions associated with obesity
and other metabolic disorders” was the conclusion they reached indicating the superiority of krill oil benefits over fish oil.(5)

Further Uses

Clinical reports are also showing a higher potential for krill oil in
relief of knee, shoulder, finger and other arthritic pains and for
improving joint flexibility making it the best omega 3 supplement.

Some users of krill oil report improved calmness and tolerance for stress, along with higher energy and general well-being.